Sole à la Hollandaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Two 12- to 14-inch deep skillets with lids, the home equivalent of a fish kettle
• •Two broad fish spatulas
• •4-quart saucepan for the potatoes
• •Small saucepan and warmed sauceboat
• •Large oval serving platter
• •Clean unscented linen napkin
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the whole sole

   Ask the fishmonger to skin, gut, trim, and crack the backbones if possible. Otherwise, set each sole flat on a board and support it with both hands. Bend it gently first one way and then the other at three evenly spaced points until the backbone gives with a faint crack; make a shallow curve, never a sharp fold that tears the flesh. Breaking the spine is the source method, not ceremony: it keeps the whole fish relaxed during poaching and makes the cooked fillets easier to lift cleanly from the frame.

   Use dry hands and gentle pressure. If the flesh begins to crease or split before the bone gives, stop and let the fishmonger do this step.
2. 2

   Boil the potatoes plainly

   Put the peeled potatoes in a saucepan with the 2 quarts of cold water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer steadily for 15 to 20 minutes, until a small knife enters the centre without resistance but the potatoes still hold their shape. Drain thoroughly, return them to the dry hot saucepan for 30 seconds, then transfer them to a warmed serving bowl and cover with a folded towel. Plain means plain here: no herbs, stock, or butter goes into the pot.

3. 3

   Ready parsley and platter

   Refresh the parsley sprigs in very cold water until they stand crisp and vivid, then dry them completely. Warm a large oval platter, dry it, and line it with a freshly laundered, unscented linen napkin. Keep the parsley cold until the fish arrives; its green border is part of the service, not a chopped flourish.

4. 4

   Poach at a tremble

   Lay one sole flat in each deep lidded skillet. Divide the 3 quarts of cold water and 1 tablespoon of salt between them, adding only enough water to cover each fish by about ½ inch. Set the pans uncovered over medium heat and watch closely. At the first definite boil, lower the heat immediately, cover, and poach for 10 minutes at the barest tremble. If either pan begins bubbling hard, pull it off the heat, uncover it, and add 2 tablespoons of cold water; once calm, return it to the lowest heat. Ça se rattrape. The sole is ready when the flesh is opaque at the backbone, parts easily from the frame, and reaches 145°F / 63°C at its thickest point. If needed, cover and give it 1 or 2 minutes more.

   If the two pans reach their first boil at different moments, start separate 10-minute timers. The fish follows the water, not its neighbour.
5. 5

   Melt the butter gently

   While the sole poaches, melt the butter in a small saucepan over the lowest heat, swirling until the last solid piece disappears. This is beurre fondu (plain melted butter), not Sauce Hollandaise, and it must remain butter-yellow without browned milk solids. Take it off the heat just before it is completely liquid and let the pan’s warmth finish the work. Pour it into a warmed sauceboat.

6. 6

   Drain onto linen

   Lift each sole with two broad fish spatulas, supporting both head and tail ends so the backbone cannot sag. Hold it over the pan for several seconds, then lay it carefully on the linen-lined platter. The napkin absorbs the water the spatulas cannot catch, keeping the platter dry and the fish distinct from the butter served alongside. Arrange the cold parsley generously around the soles while they are still hot.

7. 7

   Serve without delay

   Bring the whole soles to the table with the boiled potatoes and warm beurre fondu alongside. To serve, run a spoon along the central backbone, lift the two upper fillets from each fish, remove the exposed frame, then lift the two lower fillets. Give each person two small fillets, potatoes, and melted butter to spoon as they please. Nothing more belongs on the plate. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for whole true Dover sole, not thin packets of fillets sold under a convenient market name. The backbone and intact frame protect the flesh in the water and make this particular service possible.
• •A whole lemon sole or plaice can take the same treatment if Dover sole is unavailable, though its flesh is softer and may finish a minute sooner. Check at the backbone rather than forcing it through the full time.
• •Slightly salted means about 1 teaspoon of fine salt for every quart of poaching water. This seasons the surface without turning the fish into something cured or briny.
• •The linen must be clean, tightly woven, and free from perfume or fabric softener. Its purpose is practical absorption. Terry cloth catches the fish and has no place under it.
• •Pour a lean, dry white with enough freshness for the butter, such as Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine. The dish is quiet, so an aggressively oaked or aromatic wine talks over it.

Advance Preparation

• •Have the fishmonger prepare the soles on the day you cook them. Keep them on a tray in the coldest part of the refrigerator, at 40°F / 4°C or below, for no more than 8 hours before poaching.
• •The potatoes may be peeled up to 4 hours ahead and held submerged in cold water in the refrigerator. Drain them before adding the measured cooking water and salt.
• •Wash and dry the parsley earlier in the day, then wrap it loosely in a barely damp towel and refrigerate. Portion the butter and set out the serving pieces before cooking begins.
• •Do not poach the sole ahead. Its whole virtue is the moist texture of fish just lifted from the water. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use them cold or gently flaked by the following day; reheating makes this lean fish tight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 410g)